Scored Reviews

Toy Soldiers: War Chest brings its unique brand of tower defense to the new generation, and though there are some wrinkles caused by slight performance issues and questionable DLC practices, this is more of the same classic Toy Soldiers gameplay. There's a lot to enjoy here in a well-rounded package, with plenty of replay value thanks to the range of different heroes, collectibles and high-scores to aim for, as well as the online and offline multiplayer options.

Toy Soldiers: War Chest is a refreshingly simple 3D tower defense game. It blends the strategy of building and upgrading your units with action-packed third-person shooting, and the result is unadulterated mayhem with a lot of visual charm.

While War Chest could've used better matchmaking with player match-ups and a little more variety with battle missions, it's still a fun trip through kiddie nostalgia, especially if you double down on the Hall of Fame Edition and pit G.I. Joe against He-Man. I mean, who doesn't want to see that battle happen?!

I have problems with the way Toy Soldiers: War Chest is packaged, but thankfully it does uphold the same classic focus on strategy and action. You'll have to foot the bill for those costly licenses, but it's mostly worth it, warts and all.

Indeed, Toy Soldiers: War Chest does a very good job of mimicking the godlike feeling that drives kids to wage huge wars on basement battlefields – all the more so because of the game's full embrace of its toy motif.

[S]ome game mechanic issues and maxing out your armies, coupled with an undercover pay-to-play issue, keeps it from being a great investment. Regardless, if you're old enough to remember playing with the toys found in this game, or you just want a good tower defense game to play, this is definitely one to check out!

An entertainingly substantial, if simplistic take on tower defence warfare, Toy Soldiers War Chest's thrills are prominent, yet a little dulled by some technical issues and a needlessly greedy pricing model.

The variety in game modes doesn't quite make up for the lack of heroes, but Toy Soldiers: War Chest provides some quality entertainment for tower defense aficionados. Even those who typically avoid the genre might appreciate the ability to control turrets and heroes.

Toy Soldiers: War Chest really nails its toy aesthetic. Whether you have Battlecat running across a bunch of markers, or you blow up overly aggressive My Little Pony look-alikes (which naturally explode into rainbow hearts when defeated), the game is beautifully realised. There's a healthy number of items to unlock, characters to level and modes to play will keep you coming back for more. It's a pity then that it's burdened by some painful attempts to demand players throw in some extra cash for the DLC.

It's not just the online mode: from play to unlock design, I did not have a good time with Toy Soldiers: War Chest. This anecdote might sum it up best: a friend back from a long trip watched me play a single mission. We sat in silence through interminable wave after wave, and about halfway through the hour-long mission he blurted out "why are you even playing this?" I didn't have a good answer.

They don't make them like they used to, and in the case of 'Toy Soldiers: War Chest', the result is a bland, paid freemium game that falls short of the series' own benchmarks. It is an action/strategy title that doesn't have much of either and can be safely passed over by all but the most forgiving tower defense fans.

Toy Soldiers: War Chest is a very disappointing follow-up to two of the best downloadable Xbox 360 games out there. Not only does it run poorly, but it's cheap, convoluted and out for your wallet with unnecessary microtransactions. It's a shame, too, because good things are overshadowed by all of the bad.

Toy Soldiers: War Chest could really be something great but unfortunately choppy performance, uninspiring missions and a repetitive single player experience put paid to this. The licensed properties present in the game aren't enough elevate the game to anything more than a very workmanlike version of your favourite childhood moments.

So close, yet so far. Toy Soldiers: War Chest is an anti-climatic bundle of stale tactics, drawn-out missions, and taped-on microtransactions. It's a wonderful idea in theory that's just not developed enough or presented appealingly.